It took a couple of days, driving back and forth to work to finally “hear” the new Helloween, as from the get-go, it’s evident the longstanding Germans have adopted modern technology (7 string guitars?) and downtuning. Once past the initial shock, I realized this is their most aggressive/heaviest platter in recent memory and not with the same controversial overtones as The Dark Ride. These songs actually rock! Guess that tour with Gamma Ray kind of proved to Andi Deris (vocals) and Michaelk Weikath (guitars), as chief songwriters, what fans want. The drums, staccato riffs and otherworldly effects that introduce ‘Where The Sinners Go’ eventually gives way to an easy-to-sing chorus and some enthusiastic guitar synthesizer. First single ‘Are You Metal?’ follows, simple but effective, is accented by keyboards (which hold major sway over the entire album, but as ear candy filler, not the predominate instrument). Once again they’ve asked Biff Byford (Saxon) to do a song-beginning voiceover, although his work on the speedy ‘Who Is Mr. Madman’ seems leftover from last album’s ‘Crack The Riddle’ intro. In a knod to that first metal Grammy winner, Jethro Tull, a rollicking ‘Raise The Noise’ briefly employs a flute. Infectious power metal bounce is the name of the game for ‘World Of Fantasy’, while ‘Long Live The King’ rides a wicked double bass drum barrage and equally quick picking on guitar. Piano and violin commence the ballad, ‘The Smile Of The Sun’. It only serves to make ‘You Stupid Mankind’ (debunking religion’s contention evolution is a lie and there are no other lifeforms in the universe) sound heavier, despite its tolling bells and keys. ‘If A Mountain Could Talk’ is an ecological parable, a little light musically, but most interesting, lyrically. ‘The Sage, The Fool, The Sinner’ might be an Edguy outtake, if (re)arranged, slightly. ‘My Sacrifice’ is one of those that probably should have hit the cutting room floor, paring a couple of tunes from the13 offerings certainly seems warranted. Actually ‘Not Yet Today’ is a bizarre, bass heavy (resonated by speakers) 72-second intro to the disc closing ‘Far In The Future’. Stylistically, seems a continuation of the staccato riffage on the ‘Are You Metal’ single. Could have rated as much as one point higher, with some judicious cutting, especially on the latter third, which seems to drag. Overall, still enjoyable.